Frank Woolworth was pleased to receive news that his first 3D and 6D store in Liverpool, England had been well received. Sales exceeded expectations. He summoned his store location expert, E. J. Smith from Buffalo, New York, to sail with him for England on the next available crossing. The two arrived in February 1910.

A year earlier the five-and-ten pioneer had toured the United Kingdom with his cousin Fred Woolworth in search of possible locations. He had noted a dozen widely-spread towns that appeared ideal. But his first British recruit, William Stephenson, had evangelized an alternative opening plan, which clustered the first openings close together so that they could share a common supply line. Frank had been won over by the idea that the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway could be used to expedite the transfer of stocks from Continental Europe to his stores in the USA and Canada. As a result he took Smith on a quest to find stores in the towns along the railway, which broadly followed the route of today's M62 motorway from the West to the East Coast.

Initially it had appeared that new chain would meet with resistance from potential landlords. The Daily Mail had villified the firm, reporting that its first store offered tomahawks, similar to those that Red Indians used to scalp people. It was, they argued a cowboy operation.

But the new formula had impressed one influential businessman. The owner of Liverpool's famous and late-lamented Owen Owen Department Stores, had been surpised by the breadth of the Woolworth range and that 'the bazaar business' could be raised to such a level. He had offered a lease on one of his properties at a reasonable rent, as a possible home for a further Liverpool store in London Road. The endorsement had helped to turn the tide of opinion.

In parallel plans were also agreed to open in Preston, about twelve miles to the North East of Liverpool. Frank considered that the market town was ideal. He noted the fine buildings and the affluence of the factory workers from Horrockses Cotton Mill.

Next to open was Oldham Street, Manchester, which was managed by George Roblin. Frank Woolworth was worried about opening in the the city. He told colleagues that, despite its larger population, he feared that shoppers might not be sufficiently 'go ahead' to appreciate his store. But he noted a quite different concern in his diary. Manchester would be the first Woolworth's to open close to a Marks and Spencer Penny Bazaar. He feared that customers might see his threepenny and sixpenny fascia and opt to shop at M&S, without realising that he too offered a full selection of penny items. Lord Asa Briggs speculates in his book Marks & Spencer: A Centenary History (ISBN 0 906320 05 4) that M&S bosses were also concerned at the arrival of Woolworth's, but for quite different reasons. He believes the new arrival may have encouraged the Board of the Penny Bazaar to accelerate their programme to enclose their open shop fronts and install heating on the salesfloor.

The spread eastwards saw the chain cross the Penines with first branch in Yorkshire. Small but very well appointed premises were chosen in fashionable Exchange Buildings in Leeds. The small frontage, which is highlighted in red in the image, was dwarfed by the scale and grandeur of the Victorian-gothic building. Woolworth and Smith hoped to attract society people as they passed on their way into the banking halls around the corner.

Trading was buoyant from the opening day, with the salesfloor packed to overflowing at peak times. Within months the firm started to search for larger premises. Woolworth later moved to Briggate.

By Christmas 1910 the chain had grown to five stores.

Woolworth and Smith's tour of northern railway towns identified two further locations where the company could open at a later date. A site in Whitefriargate, Kingston-upon-Hull was earmarked for Spring 2011, and another in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough was noted for a return visit and further negotiations. The men considered that Hull had particularly high potential. The building was in a busy thoroughfare in the City Centre. The area had substantial docks, major freight and fishing industries and a number of large factories, all employing lots of people.

By Easter 1911 the chain had grown to six. Each store was profitable. Learners had been hired to prepare to manage the next wave of stores. The scouts felt ready to tackle the metropolis.

On their next visit Woolworth and Smith focused on South East England. John Snow and Charles Hubbard were left to complete negotiations in Middlesborough. Building works were required to create a shallow, wide-fronted shop in Linthorpe Road. The new premises opened to much acclaim in the early Autumn, fulfilling the original vision of a line of stores across the North that shared a single supply line via the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.

The railway also became a hidden weapon for the US Five-and-Ten chain.

Their European supply line was adapted. Goods made a shorter crossing from the Continent to Hull. They were hauled into railway wagons and whisked to the docks in Liverpool. There they were despatched to New York on board steamships on the cheaper and faster Blue Riband route.